Growth

I realized today that I've changed. Matured. Learned to appreciate things more. Able to give and receive compliments so much easier. Appreciate the little things easier.

What was it that brought these changes? Three years of school? Charlie? Being over 30?

I don't know.

Tonight I got to ride MIL's horse. What a beautiful experience! Difficult, but beautiful. She's done a good job training the horse. It was hard work, though, the horse thought she'd see what she could get away with, and I had to keep working working working to get her to behave.

10 years ago I might have been frustrated that I didn't get it all right. Now, I'm just thrilled to have gotten something right.

Thanks for the lessons. I've needed them.

Finding Extraordinary in the Ordinary

When I was a little girl I dreamed of a normal family. Both parents worked (didn't cut wood like my dad did), they got along, and we did family things (in my dreams) like play board games and go places. I just wanted an ordinary life. Not the one that I had. Although, today, I can see that I had an extraordinary life. To this day the Steens Mountains are one my favorite places in the world. And how many people can say they've been harassed by a helicopter rent-a-cop in the Owyhee Mountains while holding a rifle? Or chased by wild horses in the Murderer's Creek area of the Izee mountains. Man, I have some memories.

However, the result of these girlish dreams is that I have worked hard to find an ordinary life. In the meantime, my children haven't built the same times of life experiences that I have. They've never been chased by wild horses ;). They have flown in little airplanes, received handmade wooden toys from inmates in a Salem prison, ridden all sorts of horses both English and Western, seen alien space ships flying in the Gorge, made snowmen with my 70-something-year-old grandma, among other wonderful experiences.

This morning I was reminiscing about old times (it started yesterday with my grandma at my dad's house). I realized that regardless of our financial status, time constraints, and other ordinary concerns, I need to continue to help my children find the extraordinary in ordinary life. In 20 years I hope they look back on our ordinary life and are able to see the beautiful extraordinary moments. Even if they only think of the geese flying overhead as something beautiful and rare (our "pet" geese, a flock of over 100 that we love), I hope they know just how hard I've tried to provide them with an extraordinary life with the stability of the ordinary.

Life is beautiful!